A Second Flame
by AlphaTheGriffin17
Summary: Astrea of Astora. A wanderer, a pilgrim from the Asylum sent off on some wish and whim from poetic bullshit spewing knight. She's cursed, she's hollowing, she doesn't know how long she has left. Might as well see if there's anything to this prophecy crap. Who knows? It might be fun. AU fic, based on Dark Souls 1. Rated M for language and violence.
1. A Spark

**A Spark**

_In the Age of Ancients the world was unformed, shrouded by fog. A land of gray crags, Archtrees and Everlasting Dragons. But then there was Fire and with fire came disparity. Heat and cold, life and death, and of course, light and dark. Then from the dark, They came, and found the Souls of Lords within the flame. Nito, the First of the Dead, The Witch of Izalith and her Daughters of Chaos, Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, and his faithful knights. And the Furtive Pygmy, so easily forgotten._

_With the strength of Lords, they challenged the Dragons. Gwyn's mighty bolts peeled apart their stone scales. The Witches weaved great firestorms. Nito unleashed a miasma of death and disease. And Seath the Scaleless betrayed his own, and the Dragons were no more._

_Thus began the Age of Fire. But soon the flames will fade and only Dark will remain. Even now there are only embers, and man sees not light, but only endless nights. And amongst the living are seen, carriers of the accursed Darksign._

_Yes, indeed. The Darksign brands the Undead. And in this land, the Undead are corralled and led to the north, where they are locked away, to await the end of the world... _

_This is your fate._

Cold. Crumbling. Rotted. Decaying. There were many words she could have used to describe her surroundings. The best one she could think of was complete and utter shithole. Not exactly poetic, but accurate.

Yet she also couldn't help but wonder how many of those words could also apply to herself.

If there was one thing she knew for absolutely certain, it was that she had lost things. Important things. She knew they were important… at least, she assumed they were. That was the feeling she got. But she honestly couldn't remember. No matter how hard she tried, how much she tried to grasp at them, it slipped through her grasp like sand.

There were a few other things she knew. That she was trapped here, in the Asylum. The cell was small, with a couple of straw piles to sleep on and a bucket to shit and piss in. Not that anyone ever came in to empty it. The only glimpse she had of the world outside came from the skylight above her, the faintest glimmer of sun shining through. Like it was mocking her.

She knew she had been trapped for a while, but for how long, she honestly couldn't recall. She still had the clothes she was brought in, made of a hard leather and a hood to keep the cold and wind from bothering her. She no longer had her weapons, but she did have a ring she'd gotten from some old witch. Or that was what she thought. She remembered two names. Her name and where she came from. Those were two things she'd been sure to hold onto as tightly as she could.

Astrea of Astora. And of course… the Curse.

She glanced down at her left shoulder. That was where the mark appeared. That was where it remained, forever branding her as one of the Undead. She would never die, only lose more of herself every time she did and as time went by. Eventually, she'd go Hollow. She'd never even be able to remember her own name.

Not for the first time, the thought of it made her want to hit something. She didn't know what was worse. That there was almost nothing she could do to stop it or that she was going to spend the time it did happen in some gods forsaken cell. Her determination, her restlessness, burned away as much as the Darksign branded on her skin. She had to get out of here!

But there was no way out. The door was always locked. There were no guards, so no one to trick or fool for the key. The only other people here had lost their minds, so there was no chance of banding together. The skylight above her was completely out of her reach and she couldn't climb up the walls to get there.

She screamed in frustration. Then in surprise when something landed with a loud thud in the middle of her cell. A blackened corpse with something glinting wrapped around its waist. She looked up to see someone kneeling down at the skylight above her, peering down into her cell.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she demanded. "Like I didn't need enough of a reminder of what's going to happen to me, thanks!"

The figure didn't respond. She could make out a narrow helm of plate armour, the sun shining off of it. He stared at her for a couple of seconds, then left.

"Hey, get back here!" she shouted. "Who fuck are…?!"

But she stopped when she actually made out what was glinting on the body. What was unmistakably a key. She blinked. Like a shot, she darted at it and snatched it up. Old, rusted. Like the door to her cell. Had her luck finally turned?

Her question was answered when, with a leap of her heart and a whoop of joy, the iron bars swung forward.

"Thanks, I guess!" she called back up.

Not wasting a moment, she tore down the hallway. She barely spared a glance for the Hollows hanging around with their heads in their hands or lying on the floor. The flames flickered in the torches from the speed of which she ran. She didn't care that she almost stumbled on the stairs or that she was running through what might have been sewer water on her way up.

Finding a ladder in a rounded pit, she tore up it and out the entrance at the top. A cold wind greeted her as she emerged into the courtyard. She stopped. She couldn't believe it. She was almost out of here, almost free! She could have kissed the ground, but stopped herself. She settled instead for another whoop and a fist pump to the sky.

That wasn't the only reason she stopped. She had just seen something before the doors that would lead to her freedom. A sword sticking out of the ground by its hilt, the point buried in a pile of ash and bone. An ember glowed faintly at its base, flickering weakly, yet she was still drawn to it. At her touch on the sword hilt, the ember burst into a flame and she felt its warmth wash over her.

Even for a rambunctious wanderer like Astrea, there was always comfort to be found from the warm glow of a bonfire. All Undead found solace in their flames. It healed their wounds, gave them strength and, if they were to die… somehow, they'd always find themselves at the closest bonfire. Astrea didn't know why and frankly, she didn't really care. Resting at this bonfire felt like the first proper rest she'd had in a long while.

But even the bonfire didn't keep her there for long. Her eyes were soon fixed on the door to her freedom, her feet driving her forward, and her hands pushing on its weathered wooden surface. The years had worn the hinges so they were stiff, but that didn't stop her.

Across the entrance hall was the final obstacle. One last door between her and escape! She could barely contain herself as she bolted towards it… but a growing shadow made her skid to a halt and scramble backward. For the second time, something fell from the sky in front of her. But this was far from helpful or welcome.

A flabby, ugly form towered over her. Jowls of blue grey flesh wobbled from its fall, a huge portly belly that even the fattest official would be jealous of. The mountains of flab continued up and up to an even uglier face. Teeth larger than a man's fist, fangs as sharp as swords and piggy, red eyes that were fixed on her. But her eyes moved away from its face and towards its massive hammer that was now being raised up in its stubby arms.

Her wits returned and she leapt to the side. The ground shook as the hammer of the demon came crashing down. She stood up from her roll and whipped her head back at it. It was already preparing to swing again. No way she could fight it, she didn't even have a weapon.

She glanced about, spotting a pair of torches. Between them, a gate. Her legs pumped, the demon roaring behind her. With one more leap, she barrelled through the gate and the bars slammed shut behind her, in time with its hammer crashing down again.

Panting, she leaned against a wall and looked back out. The demon glared after her, but the fat fuck would never fit in here. She glared back at it and flipped the bird before skulking away down the stairs. The small, dank room filled with water did nothing to make her calm her down. Not even the bonfire she lit down there made her feel any better.

She screamed and kicked the wall. Almost out and the fucking Asylum Demon got her at the last fucking second! She should have figured it would, but she'd also figured that guy who let her out might have killed it. It was the reason there were no guards at the Asylum. Who needed them, when a tall, dark and flabby was waiting so smash anyone who tried to get out?

"Okay, okay. Calm the fuck down, Astrea," she murmured to herself. "You're not gonna give up now. Fatty's the only thing between you and getting out of this shithole. You just need to find something to make sure he won't be as big of a problem. Even if he is literally a big problem."

She barked a laugh at her own humor and started to figure things out. Okay, not getting back the way she came. There was another doorway. She could follow that, maybe find a weapon or another exit or something to get rid of the demon. Better than sitting around here. She'd done it long enough already.

She went to the door. It led out down another ruined part of the Asylum. The roof was damn near gone and the cell doors were all twisted as fuck. She could make out a figure at the other end. It didn't take long for her sharp eyes to note that it was a hollow and he had a loaded bow.

Astrea darted to the side to avoid the arrow that whizzed past and into another cell. The body propped against the door had a shield dangling from its arm. She yanked it off and felt it. Hard leather. Round. Light and easy to use. Just how she liked it.

She raised it and jumped out. The hollow fired again, but the arrow merely embedded in her shield. The force made her arm jerk a bit, but she ignored it and charged forward. Peeking over the top, she saw the hollow turn and flee the other way.

"Get back here, you fuck!" she yelled. She quickened her pace.

Another corpse ahead of her yielded another reward. She grinned as she took the hilt of a sword from its weak grasp. A scimitar. Pretty sturdy and the kind of sword she was used to using. She gave it a couple of swings and tried to twirl it in her usually dextrous fingers. Nearly dropped the fucking thing.

"Guess I am a little out of practice," she muttered. Her grin returned when she looked to the stairs the hollow had fled up. "Best go get some then."

At a quick pace, she reached the top and found him readying another arrow. She didn't break her stride. She raised her shield again to block his next arrow and the scimitar was already whistling through the air when he went for another.

He gurgled as it sliced off his arm and again when she drove it through his neck. He fell down with it still wedged in there, but Astrea yanked it out with a flicker of blood. Looked like she hadn't quite lost her touch.

Moving on, she found herself in an area which overlooked the door she took towards the demon and to the exit. But she focused instead on something through another busted door. A man in full plate armour, lying atop a pile of rubble. The sun's rays streamed down on him, as if he'd crashed through the ceiling and into that room. He wasn't moving.

"Hey? You okay in there?" she called. "Hello?"

No reply. Not even a movement of his head. She shrugged. Guess he was fucked then. She followed the path to another set of stairs that hopefully led somewhere. A low rumbling caught her attention and she saw something tumbling out of the darkness.

She pounced to the right, just in time to avoid the metal ball that came rolling down the stairs. A loud crash told her it broke down the wall ahead of it. Snarling, she mounted the stairs again and saw the hollow who had pushed it. The scimitar was through his gut before he could even raise his shitty sword. She kicked him off and drove it in his chest again for good measure.

"Sneaky bastard." She went to the door and tugged on it. Nothing. She frowned and tugged again.

"Oh, you've got to be shitting me." Grasping it with both hands, she jiggled the door but to no effect. It remained firmly shut. "Oh, fuck you too!"

She headed back down the stairs. Maybe the key would magically present itself again like at her cell. Astrea saw the hole the boulder had made and went to check it out. What she found was a passage to the knight she'd seen, lying on the rubble. She shrugged again. If he was dead, might as well check him for anything useful.

However, when she approached, his head slowly turned to look at her.

"Oh, you..." he remarked with faint surprise. "You're no Hollow, eh? Thank goodness..."

"Uh, yeah," she said unsurely. "Do I know you?"

He chuckled a bit. "Come now. I know what the curse does… but surely you haven't forgotten already?"

"Forgotten? Wait…" She suddenly realised what he meant. "It was you?"

"Indeed." He coughed. "I'm done for, I'm afraid... I'll die soon, then lose my sanity..."

"Sucks to be you."

"Rather," he agreed. "I wish to ask something of you... you and I, we're both Undead. Hear me out, will you?"

"Guess I owe you one," she shrugged.

He nodded his thanks. "Regrettably, I have failed in my mission... but perhaps you can keep the torch lit..."

"If it ends with me like how you are now, I can't say I'm eager."

"Hopefully not. There is an old saying in my family. 'Thou who art Undead, art chosen. In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of Ancient Lords. When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know...'"

The words rung familiar in her memory. Something she might have read or heard long ago back home…

"Well, now you know… and I can die with hope in my heart," he finished.

"Hold on, know what?" she asked. "Some poetry bullshit? How the fuck does that help me?"

"It's… it's all there, in the saying," he breathed. "'Maketh pilgrimage to the land… of Ancient Lords.' Perhaps… Lordran sounds familiar?"

"Lordran?" She had heard it called that, now she thought about it. "How the fuck do I get there?"

"You seem… resourceful. I'm sure you'll find something… Oh, one more thing... Here, take this..." He handed her a green flask, filled with something glowing. "An Estus Flask, an Undead favourite... Oh, and this..." Another key. "It unlocks… the door upstairs."

"Oh." She pocketed the key and managed a smile. "Thanks again. At least it wasn't on a corpse this time."

"In a manner of speaking…" He coughed again. "Now I must bid farewell... I would hate to harm you after death. So, go now... and thank you."

"You too. Wait…" She realised something. "What's your name?"

"Oscar," he said weakly. "Of Astora… and you?"

"Astrea of Astora," she replied, with another faint smile. "Thanks, Oscar."

"You too, Astrea. And… good luck."

"Coming from you?" she smirked. She inclined her head a little and left Oscar where he lay.

She only glanced back once before opening the door up the stairs. She could think more about what he said later. Right now, she needed to get out of here.

The path led her to a viewpoint where she could see what lay beyond the door the demon guarded. More shitty ruined buildings and some smatterings of grass and snow, leading up towards a cliff. Directly to her left were three more hollows. Two with swords, one with a bow.

She drew the sword guys round the corner. She parried the clumsy swing of one and cut his leg off, She ducked under the other guy's and sliced him across the chest. He careened backwards, then fell forward when she drove the sword into the back of his skull. She finished off the other one with the same treatment.

After dealing with a now armless archer, she looked up the stairs they guarded. It led back into the room with the demon and some kind of platform that would drop down into it. She looked back, again at the image of her path to freedom. She had a weapon now, but taking him down would still be tough.

"Fuck it," she growled.

She walked to the balcony and looked down. The demon stared back up at her with his piggy little eyes. She hated those eyes. Time to fix that.

With a battle cry, she jumped from the platform, her sword angled down. She was rewarded with a pained shriek from the demon and a spurt of blood. She switched hands quickly, drove the sword into his other eye and leaped off.

The demon clutched his eye with one hand and wildly swung his hammer around with the other. She backed out of its range as it blindly tried to find her. She smirked at the sight. Maybe this wouldn't be as tough as she thought.

"Hey! Hey, here I am!" she taunted. "Come on and hit me!"

The demon could still hear. He charged in her general direction, his hammer ready to strike. She dived to the side and swing her sword to the back of his leg, driving it in deep. Astrea drew the blade across and watched as more blood spurted out and the demon topped onto one side.

While he tried to use his hammer for support, she sprinted for the other one and gave it the same treatment. With a satisfying crash, he fell forward, roaring angrily. Now, he couldn't see or move. Too bad for him.

She walked around to his head, which bellowed his frustration. His arms failed, his hammer had fallen to the floor to one side. If he didn't know Astrea was right in front of him, he would in a second. Standing in an ox stance, she drove the scimitar right between his eyes. Another loud bellow and breath that smelled like his fat ass almost sent her skidding back, but she dug her sword in deeper.

Until he breathed no more. But she dug it in a few more times for good measure.

"That wasn't too hard," she remarked, wiping her blade down. "And what's this?" Dangling around his fat wrist was the key to the door. "Thanks for nothing, shit for brains. And I don't just mean that as an insult, I can smell my sword."

A few seconds later, his body was glowing a bright white. Like water down a drain, it dissolved away and went into her. Another fun part of the Darksign. She'd gained the souls of the demon, as well as from the Hollows she'd killed. From them, she'd barely felt anything but from the demon… it wasn't like resting at a bonfire, to be sure but it still felt good to have them.

It left something else as well. A little black sprite that flew towards her and into her hand. Her heart leapt at the sight. Humanity. The precious substance that, along with souls, prevented Undead from hollowing. It preserved and maintained their humanity, as long as they had it to spare.

Wasting no time, she pressed it to her breast and felt it surge through her. She felt lighter, stronger. Touching her skin, it no longer felt like a corpse but fresh and smooth. She was human again! She didn't care for how long, it was better than before! Fuck yes, her luck had turned!

Using the key, she heaved the doors open and took a moment of elation as she stepped out and climbed the stairs to the top of the cliff.

But one question rung out: what the fuck was she supposed to do now?

Okay, good news: she had a weapon. She was out of the shithole asylum. She was human. Bad news: it looked like there was no way off this cliff. Maybe if she could find some other way down, a ledge or something. She could climb down or…?

Something that felt and sounded like a strong wind blew up from above. Something large and black with claws descended from the sky, cawing like some massive bird. She barely got time to look at it before it snatched her up off the ground.

"What?!" The wind was rushing and the earth zoomed away below her. "Hey! Put me down, you feathered fuck! What the fuck are you doing?!"

But the giant bird payed no mind to her protests. It flew on, carrying a foul mouthed Astoran Undead further from the Asylum…

_For only, in the ancient legends it is stated, that one day an undead shall be chosen to leave the undead asylum, in pilgrimage, to the land of ancient lords, Lordran…_

* * *

Hey folks! Welcome to the start of my Dark Souls story!

Now, this is an AU fic so there going to be different elements. I will tell you what will happen and what will change when it comes. The rest, you'll see as the story progresses.

I don't expect to do frequent updates, as I do have another story to do, but I shall update when I can. I hope you enjoy it and remember to review.

Thank you


	2. Anyone Order a Large Burg?

**One Order for a Large Burg?**

Astrea had finally resolved to just shut up and see where the giant crow would take her. It had a hold of her arms, so she couldn't reach her sword or even swing it if she could. Even if she managed to get it to drop her, they were hundreds of miles up in the air. She'd restore at a bonfire, yes, but that was all the way back at the Asylum. Plus, dying fucking hurt.

So, she decided to go along for the ride. If the bird tried to eat her when they got there, she'd think of something.

While they flew, she had time to think about what Oscar had told her. She could remember hearing those words before. It was a prophecy or something from back home. From what sense she'd been able to make of it, it had something to do with an Undead leaving the Asylum, ringing a bell or something and knowing 'the fate of the Undead'.

It sounded fucking insane, but to her… if she rang this bell, would she be able to find out the truth about the Undead Curse? Maybe find a way to get rid of this fucking curse and actually become human for good again? To not be ripped from the living world and shoved right back in over and over again? All that, just for ringing a bell in Lordran?

Yeah, fucking insane. But really, what in this fucked up world made sense anymore? There was a curse going around that stopped people dying then drove them insane. If there was a way to get rid of this curse, she was going to fucking take it, even if it killed her. And it probably would. But she'd never really been one for sitting on her ass, especially when her time was so limited now.

If she was going down, she was going down with a sword in one hand and thrusting up her middle finger defiantly at the world with the other.

After what seemed like hours, the crow began to drop below the clouds. The first thing she caught was a massive wall, nearly a hundred feet high, with round towers built into it. There appeared to be something beyond it, but she couldn't make it out. Above that was what looked like some kind of church. She could see a bell tower. Was that where she needed to go?

Suddenly, the crow banked left and she felt a rushing as her stomach leapt into her throat. It swooped under the branches of a massive tree before finally dropping her when they neared the ground.

"Finally," she muttered. She looked up to see the crow perched on the top of a nearby ruin. "Okay, you got lucky this time, feather brain! I've decided not to kill you! Yet…"

She took in her surroundings. Once again, it looked like a crumbling ruin. It was rounded and walled by stone walls and a few benches, all decaying and ruined. A small set of stairs led down to a centre where a bonfire took pride of place. This one seemed brighter than the ones back at the Asylum. The place was overgrown with plants and moss and a few more trees, but it was dwarfed against the giant that loomed overhead.

"Okay then," she murmured. "So, where the fuck am I now?"

"Well, what do we have here?" A slimy voice got her attention. "You must be a new arrival."

It came from man perched on a fallen column. He had dark, greasy hair that trailed off in scraggly ends. His face was unshaven and rough with stubble on a slightly narrow face. He was dressed in basic chainmail and she spotted a sword and beaten shield lying next to him.

His dark eyes appraised her, but not with any interest or malice. More of a mild interest. He was just sitting there, crouched near the fire, in a very resigned sort of way. Like the way you see a man at a bar who's depressed enough to be there, but hasn't managed to drink himself stupid yet.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "What was your first clue? Maybe to do with the giant fucking crow that just dumped me here?"

If he was irked by her sarcasm, he didn't show it or he just didn't care. She guessed the latter was more likely.

"Let me guess. Fate of the Undead, right?" he asked.

"Actually, I just heard Lordran was nice this time of year," she replied. "Thought I'd come by and see the sights. Even managed to get free air travel. Not a bad deal, huh?"

She saw a ghost of a smile flicker across his face.

"Well, aren't you a spirited one?" he remarked. "But so was I, once…"

"Yeah, real life and soul, I can tell," she said.

He smirked. "Give it time. Pretty soon, you'll be sitting here keeping me company too."

"Not my style," Astrea said. "Look, can you just tell me where I am?"

"I suppose that's fair," he shrugged. "If you mean generally, you're in Lordran. If you want specifics, may I be the first to welcome you to Firelink Shrine."

"I'm getting all warm and fuzzy already. Are you this cheery with everyone or am I just a special case?"

"Oh, you're hardly special," he sneered. "You're not the first and you certainly won't be the last."

Astrea cocked an eyebrow. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"You'll see," he murmured. "Now, do you still want my help?"

"Thanks, but I wouldn't want to waste anymore of your valuable time," she said in a falsely sweet voice. "I'm just gonna go find this bell and get this over with."

"Which one?" She paused. "Oh, that got your attention, didn't it? There are actually two Bells of Awakening. One's up above, in the Undead Church. The other is far, far below, in the ruins at the base of Blighttown. Ring them both, and something happens. Brilliant, right?"

"Fucking incredible." She sighed. "Great. Two bells. Didn't mention that Oscar, did you?"

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know?"

"Tell it to someone who gives two shits," she replied. Glancing around, she caught sight of some stairs leading up and away from the Shrine. "Up above, huh?"

"Oh yes, in the Undead Church," he said, even though Astrea wasn't speaking to him. "There is a lift you can take up there."

"Oh, good."

"Sadly, it's broken."

"Oh, fuck you."

"You'll have to climb the stairs up the ruins, and access the Undead Burg through the waterway," he directed. "I trust your fiery spirit will serve you well. I know one who'd certainly appreciate it."

She looked back at him. His smile wasn't warm and inviting. It was more like he was mocking her. She resisted the urge to carve him a permanent one with her scimitar.

"Why the fuck do you even care?" she asked.

"Oh, I don't," he clarified. "But it'll be amusing to pass the time until I go hollow. It's better to have some entertainment while you wait for the inevitable, wouldn't you agree?"

"If you're bored, I'll show you some fucking entertainment," she snarled. Her hand gripped her sword and so did his.

"Careful now," he warned. "I do find you an admirable sort, but that won't stop me from running you through if you give me cause."

She considered him a moment. Then, she took her hand off the hilt. He wasn't worth her time.

"There's a good girl." He returned to his relaxed position. "So, off you go. It is why you came, isn't it? To this accursed land of the Undead?"

His laughter followed her as she stalked off. She drew her sword, but it was all she took not to turn around and see how much he would be laughing with blood in his throat.

Passing by a gnarled tree, she climbed a set of stone steps and emerged to find another set off to her left. This led off the waterway the Warrior mentioned. Four hollow soldiers stood guard, two at the base, one on the stairs and one at the very top. One was already charging at her, wielding a rusted sword and a broken wooden shield.

He ran right into her blade and she shoved him off the side. Staircase hollow jumped off and landed, but didn't even get to stand up before she drove the sword into the back of his neck. There was one more in armour with a spear and she went to give him the same treatment.

A sudden burst of fire appeared between her and him. Whipping her head up, she saw the guy at the top already preparing to throw another firebomb. The guy in armour raised his shield and approached.

"You cheeky fucker!"

She kicked against the shield of the hollow and he staggered back right into the second bomb. He writhed in the flames, but she didn't stay to watch. She tore up the stairs for the final one. She ducked under his next bomb and drove her scimitar into his chest.

"Got any more of those for me?" she pondered, searching him and finding two more. "Well, aren't you sweet?"

Astrea followed the stairs up to the waterway. The lightstone in her belt gave her enough light to see directly in front of her. She ignored the scurrying of an undead rat and forged on, taking another set of stairs out into the Undead Burg.

The massive wall still towered overhead when she got up. It shadowed the remains of a town that looked to be trying to rise up from below. Just plain buildings with wooden support, like in any village. There wasn't much of a structure or system. They just seemed to build on top of each other. Not to impress anyone or look pretty, just give people places to live. For Undead to live…

A form of respect for the place rose at the thought. Everywhere she'd been, Undead were persecuted and discriminated. Knowing they'd managed to make a place for themselves here was rather nice. Just too bad it hadn't turned out well. A place full of Undead, it was only a matter of time before they Hollowed. Those who didn't wouldn't have lasted long.

She pressed on. Four more hollows tried to get in her way. She swiftly cut them down, getting one more firebomb of another and feeling the little bit of strength their souls gave her. Astrea made a mental note to utilize them properly at the next bonfire. Last thing she wanted was to die and lose them all.

All living things had souls. As an Undead, when she killed them, she ended up collecting those souls into herself. They stayed stored up inside her until she reached a bonfire. If she so wished, she could use them to make her stronger, give her more energy before she wore out. In short, making sure she was less likely to die when facing whatever was out there.

She climbed a set of stairs and paused when she reached a path along a wall. She could make out another hollow standing atop a roof. There might be more, but she'd have to see.

So far though, all she'd seen were these hollows and they weren't much of a deal. It was safer to deal with them one at a time, but she was quick and smart enough to not let them overwhelm her. The path to this bell was going to be a cake walk.

She was about to proceed when a large clawed foot slammed onto the ground in front of her. To her amazement, it was attached to a massive red dragon. It spared her one cursory glance, then took off again. Astrea watched after it as it soared away.

"Someone else who appreciates a fiery spirit?" she recounted. She barked a laugh. "Yep, guess so."

A large open area greeted her. A few wooden cover positions were set up ahead. Another hollow came to meet her, the one atop the roof beginning to load a crossbow. She raised her shield and charged at the first hollow. His sword hit her shield and she knocked it away, making him stagger. She ran her sword into his belly, using it to block the arrow fired a second later.

A crashing of wood revealed another smashing aside the cover positions. She kicked the first guy off and swung her sword at him. He met the steel with his own to block it, but she feinted and shoved the scimitar into his side. He grunted in surprise and fell flat on his face. Not missing a beat, she dived for cover from a second bolt.

She paused, took a few breaths and counted to three. Then, she rolled swiftly out of cover and darted to the building he was standing on. He missed his next shot and was trying to load another when she sliced his head off. The body staggered and the neck spurted blood for a couple of seconds, then collapsed in a heap.

"I really am just too good," she chuckled. "I'll show that smarmy prick how a real undead fights."

She started across a bridge with a bit of a swagger. She almost laughed at another hollow charging towards her. But laugh became a short scream when something singed her back and another burned her foot.

For a moment of panic, she leaped back across before two more firebombs could be lobbed at her. The explosions had grazed her, but fuck they hurt! Gritting her teeth, she swung at the guy, but he caught it on his shield and thrust forward with his sword. She cried when it stuck in her side.

Before he could drag it out, she lashed out at his neck. It sliced it open and warm blood leaked from the wound. He clutched at it, his breathing rasping, fell on his knees and fell dead. It pooled on the stone, mixed with her own.

She fumbled with her belt and grasped the Estus Flask. She took a quick swig from it and felt a familiar warm feeling course through her body. The essence of a bonfire healed her wounds, soothing the pain of her back, foot and mending the hole in her side with vibrant energy.

She spat at his corpse. "You got lucky, fucker."

But the blame wasn't all his. That was so fucking stupid! She'd gotten overconfident and it almost cost her. So soon after recovering her humanity, she almost lost it again. She should have checked, seen those two perched up high, ready to throw their load at her.

"Don't lose it, Astrea," she urged. "Just be more careful and don't let things get to your head."

Now she appraised her surroundings properly, she spotted another bonfire not too far away in the opposite direction. She rested at it, used the souls she had to strengthen herself a little and turn around to try again.

This time, she booked it across the bridge and came across two hollows waiting for her. Both of them had battle axes.

"Come on! How many more of you bastards are there?!" As if in answer, another hollow kicked down the door to her left. "Guess I answered my own fucking question."

One with an axe swung and missed, stumbling a bit. Enough of an opening to drive a scimitar into his side and swivel him around to take the axe of his friend. She pushed them both aside, parried the blow of the door man and cut his belly open. The one who killed his friend shoved his buddy's axe-embedded corpse off in time to get a sword cleaved into his skull.

She yanked it out with a spray of blood and brain, catching her breath. Back on top again. Just had to stay that way.

Three more hollows blocked her way in the courtyard ahead, but she dealt with them easily. She had to take another swig of Estus when an archer she didn't see in the tower behind her got her with a crossbow bolt in the shoulder. Another lesson for her to pay attention to her surroundings.

She grabbed his crossbow when she killed him and managed to kill one of the guys down below with a shot to the neck. His two friends saw where she was and ran up the tower steps, only for one to get a bolt in the eye and the other a sword to both his arms.

A set of stairs led her to the entrance of a round tower. The hollow at the top tried to kick a flaming barrel down at her, but she saw it coming, ran back and it missed. He soon paid the price for trying to be clever with her.

Up yet more stairs she went and found a passage that led out onto the wall to another tower just across the way. She stepped out onto the ramparts and paused.

Something was wrong. The quiet was unsettling when before hollows had been brimming everywhere.

Astrea's moment did allow her to hear the sound of crossbows being loaded. Looking up, she saw a pair of them getting ready to fire. Looking for a way up, she spotted a ladder to her left and shimmied up it. She rolled when she reached the top, dodging their bolts. When she faced them, they'd both pulled out swords.

Making the first move, she ran to one and shoved him off the side. He landed with a satisfying crack of bone. The other was stabbed in the heart as he raised his sword and fell off too.

From up here, she appraised the wall. Up ahead was the tower she needed to get to. It looked like a straight shot, but something made her cautious. Sliding down the ladder, she advanced slowly, sword and shield at the ready. She expected a storm of soldiers, more crossbowmen from the second tower.

What she didn't expect was something very large and very hairy to jump from the tower and land in front of her.

The demon wasn't as big as the one at the asylum, but he was still pretty big. A massive upper body and strong legs made him different too, as well as looking more like a bull on its hind legs. Yellow eyes fixed on her and it prepared to swing a massive great axe down at her.

Astrea had already jumped back and sprinted the other way, hearing the smash as the axe struck the ground. It pelted after her, but she didn't look back, reaching out for the ladder and hurrying up it as fast as her arms and legs would let her. It took another swing, one that smashed the ladder to pieces, but she'd already cleared it and reached the top.

She walked to the edge, saw him stare up at her and jumped. She didn't get his eyes, but managed to make a wound in his neck. He roared in anger as Astrea tried to jump, but ended up stumbling and didn't stick the landing. Pain shot through her legs, but she grabbed her Flask and took a quick swig.

But when she turned, a massive hand was already on top of her. The demon swept her up in its grasp and he was far from gentle.

"Hey! Let me go you- AGGGGGGGH!" She screamed as he clamped down. Astrea could feel her bones cracking. "You… fuckAGGGGGGGGH!"

He tossed her away to the other end of the wall, landing with a hard smack on the ground. Through the blinding, searing pain, she managed to grasp her Flask and take another swig. The pain was numbed mostly, but it remained.

Clutching her chest, she turned to see him charging across to her. She had another swig for good measure, gritted her teeth and charged. She dodged his axe and stabbed his knee. She grinned when he roared.

"How does it feel, huh?!" she demanded. "How do you like it, you-?!"

A massive backhand smacked her away and she skidded on the stone. She tried fumbling for her flask again, but he was already preparing to swing his axe. She wouldn't even have time to drink if it hit her. It would be straight back to a bonfire.

But she wasn't dying yet.

Her hand fumbled and instead grasped not her flask, but the round shape of a firebomb. She staggered to her feet, pulled her arm back. The demon pointed his axe to the sky to bring down on her body. She flung, he swung. She jumped to the side as a shadow cast over her-

BOOM!

The axe missed her by an inch. It was sent off course when her bomb got him in the knee she'd stabbed him and he forcibly kneeled on the other knee. He clutched the injury, bellowing his anger while Astrea managed to get back to her feet. But she was still close.

Close enough that the demon flung aside his axe and grabbed her again with his other hand. She could see the look in his beady yellow eyes when he glared at her. She'd really pissed him off and now he was going to make sure that when he killed her, it was going to fucking hurt.

But Astrea had already managed to grab another bomb. She looked the demon straight in the eye, wincing through the burning pain. He roared again, spraying spittle in her face, but she grimaced, raised her free arm and tossed the bomb.

Right into his mouth.

His roar was cut off when he choked on it. He started to cough but the bomb exploded in his throat. It tore a hole open, blood and smoke pouring out. His grasp lessened and he dropped Astrea, falling forward onto his belly and dead in seconds.

His body dissolved into soul shards. Astrea took some pride while they flooded into her, but not much. Her chest still hurt and the number of times the demon almost got her had given her pause for thought.

"Maybe not so much a cake walk," she murmured, taking another swig of Estus and walking away with a slight limp.

* * *

Okay, slight note. I'm sorry if it seems these fights with bosses in the game aren't going on for very long, but I am finding it a little bit tough to extend these in such a way to make things realistic and still be satisfying.

For both the Asylum and Taurus demons, there's not really much to their fights in my opinion. They're challenging when you first do them, but when you know what you're doing, they don't end up lasting very long.

I do hope future fights and chapters will be more interesting in future. So far, it's just Astrea hacking through hollows on her own, but not for much longer. I can promise you this: Astrea won't be on her own for long.

If you have any suggestions for improvements, feel free to point them out in a review.

Thank you.


	3. And Then There Were Two

**And Then There Were Two**

The drink she took from her Estus proved to be the last one, leaving the flask empty. She was no longer limping, but she was full of irritation. She'd have to wait until the next bonfire to fill it with more Estus and she had no idea how long that would be.

But she didn't need them. She could handle whatever this place threw at her. She'd made it out of the Asylum, she'd beaten not only the demon there, but another one here! Sure, she was a little worse for wear and all her Estus was gone, but she'd done it. And she'd gotten herself some more souls. Next time she'd get to a bonfire, she'd only be made stronger and be able to take on a hundred more.

Exiting the tower, she emerged onto the bridge. She guessed it was the one she'd seen from the Burg that appeared to lead to the church where the first bell was. There was another door directly across her, but a quick test showed that it was locked. A viewpoint was to her right, overlooking the vast forests and mountains beyond with the rays of the sun beaming down through the crowds.

But she wasn't the only one looking at the view.

A man stood there, his arms at his side, apparently gazing up at the sun. A great helm covered his head with a small red feather set atop it. He wore what looked like green fur around his shoulders and a dirty white tunic beneath that, with the symbol of a sun set with a face emblazoned on it. A similar symbol was on the large round shield he wore on his back. The belt he wore had a sheath and sword attached and his legs were protected by plate armour leggings.

Astrea drew her sword and approached cautiously. The guy didn't seem like he would try to kill her, but you could never be too sure. But even as she got closer, he didn't seem to notice her. He just continued to stand there, staring at the celestial body above.

"You know," she tried, "you're gonna go blind if you do that long enough."

Now, he noticed her. A pair of brilliant blue eyes appraised her from the visor of his helm.

"Very true," a bright, cheery voice responded. "But if I am to lose my vision, I take comfort that the last sight I see would be the wondrous body of the sun!"

"All well and good until the last thing you feel is the sword of a hollow running through your gut," she countered.

He laughed boisterously. "Oh hoh! When you put it like that, perhaps it would be wiser if I keep my vision intact for the moment."

"Good choice," she agreed with a smirk of her own.

"Still, it is something to behold, is it not?" He gestured to the sun. "Like a magnificent father. If only I could be so grossly incandescent…"

"Riiight…" she nodded unsurely.

The man continued to stare for a few more seconds. Suddenly, he whipped his head around to face her and laughed again.

"But goodness me! Here we are, engaged in conversation and I've not even had the common courtesy of introducing myself!" he realised. "I am Solaire of Astora, an adherent of the Lord of Sunlight."

"Yeah, I kind of guessed you were big on the sun," she noted.

"Really? How?" She only raised an eyebrow. He took a second, looked down at his chest and chuckled when he caught her meaning. "Yes, I suppose it does go without saying. And who do I have the pleasure of addressing, milady?"

"Okay, first: don't call me a lady," she said firmly. "Second, I wouldn't exactly consider it a pleasure, but I'm Astrea. Also of Astora."

"What an extraordinary coincidence," Solaire said cheerfully, holding out a hand. "Regardless of what you may think, I consider it a great pleasure to meet you indeed, Astrea of Astora."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Completely," he replied brightly. His hand didn't waver.

"Uh… same here, I guess… Solaire of Astora…" She shook his hand, still a bit taken aback.

"So, Astrea, what brings you to this great land?" he asked.

"A giant crow," she answered.

"Good gracious!" he laughed. "Are you serious?"

"Completely," she echoed. "Brought me here from the Northern Asylum. Now, I'm off to ring the bell over at the church and see if anything happens."

"Oh, so you know of the prophecy then?"

"Yeah. Another guy from Astora was nice enough to let me out of my cell in some desperate attempt to get the ball rolling, I guess," she shrugged. "And since it's better than sitting around and waiting to go hollow, I figure why the fuck not?"

"A noble goal indeed," Solaire said.

"I was thinking more along the lines of completely desperate, but that sounds better. What about you?" she asked.

"Well, as with yourself, I too was a resident of the Asylum," he said. "Sadly, I was unable to acquire any avian assistance in my escape, so I had to come here the long way."

"Too bad," she smirked.

"But now, I have come here to the birthplace of Lord Gwyn to seek my very own sun!" he declared proudly.

"Huh?" She cocked an eyebrow again. "You mean like a son as in offspring? If this is you coming onto me…!"

"Oh goodness, no!" he said quickly. "Nothing like that! Not that I wouldn't want to, of course! You are an attractive woman and I'm sure… by the look on your face, I should probably cease this line of conversation?"

"Quickly," she replied through gritted teeth.

"Of course. No, the sun I seek is the one that shines above us!" He pointed to it. "As the great Lord Gwyn did when he found his soul within the First Flame and founded the Age of Fire, I seek a sun of my own!" He seemed to smile at the look of utter bewilderment on Astrea's face. "Do you find that strange?"

She blinked a few times. "Um, yes!"

"Well, you should! No need to hide your reaction," he added. "I get that look all the time."

"Gee, I wonder why," she remarked as he laughed.

She stared at him while he returned his eyes to the sun. She'd heard of people really losing their minds before they turned hollow, but this guy was really fucking nuts! Seeking his own sun? How the fuck was he supposed to do that? She should have taken this moment to back slowly away, then run for it when she was out of sight.

But then again, in a world of undying and madness, who really was crazy these days? At least he wasn't trying to kill her. And maybe this was he'd taken on as his purpose. One of the ways to hold off hollowing was to have a goal, something to focus your mind and put in effort towards obtaining. Fighting to achieve this goal kept Undead sane and kept them fighting against hollowing. Until they fulfilled it or gave up trying.

If this was Solaire's, crazy though it maybe, then she wouldn't try and stop him. Not like hers was any less crazy.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Solaire's cheery voice. He seemed to notice she hadn't left, something she guessed others had done at this point.

"Oh, ah hah! So, I didn't scare you?"

"Trust me, it takes more than some nut chasing the sun to frighten me away," she said confidently.

"I have no doubt of that," he agreed. "I have a proposition, if you have a moment."

"Please don't ask me to be the moon to your sun, I've heard that way too many times," Astrea begged.

"Fear not, this is nothing of the sort," he assured. "The way I see it, our fates appear to be intertwined."

"I thought you said it was nothing like that!"

"It isn't. Think about it. Both Undead, both from Astora, both on a quest that brought us to this land and both escaped the Asylum. In a land brimming with Hollows, could that really be mere chance?" he asked.

"Huh." She nodded slowly. "I guess that is a pretty big coincidence."

"But not an unwanted one. So, what do you say? Why not help one another on this lonely journey?" he proposed.

"No, thanks," she said at once. "Teamwork isn't really my thing. No offense, I mean."

"None taken, I quite understand," Solaire nodded. "But surely you saw the bull demon guarding the wall on your way. With that enormous drake flying around and a rumour I've heard of a goat demon living down below, who knows what else is out there? I notice as well that you've no Estus to spare in your flask."

"You saying I can't handle myself?" she demanded.

"Not at all. You seem a very capable warrior, but there is no shame in accepting a little help, especially against such terrors as these," he reasoned. "Also, there are only three ways to go. One we have just come from, one is locked, which leaves only the bridge. Since we would both be going in the same direction, would it not be prudent to make this a joint venture?"

Astrea frowned. She wasn't too comfortable accepting help like this but annoyingly, he did have a point. And, even more annoyingly, if she were to have more encounters like with that bull demon asshole before, having some help wouldn't be so bad.

Not that she'd admit that.

"So," Solaire pressed on, "why not band together, combine our talents in battle and engage in jolly cooperation, milady?"

"'Jolly cooperation?'" she repeated slowly. "Are you fucking with me?"

"I thought you made it quite clear you were uninterested in such activities."

"You know what I fucking mean!" she snapped. "And didn't I just tell you not to call me a lady?!"

"A slip of the tongue, I assure you. I meant no offense."

"Just… okay, fine! If you're so eager to help, you can come along."

"This pleases me greatly!" He pulled out his shield and drew his straight sword. "I relish the chance of fighting alongside you, milady."

"But first, a couple of rules. Rule one," she started, sticking her finger in his face, "don't get in my way. Rule two, don't call me milady. I have a name, fucking use it. And rule three: on no account ever, ever, _ever_ say the words 'jolly cooperation' ever again. Got it?"

"Perfectly understood, mil- Astrea," he corrected quickly. "Then by your leave, shall we depart?"

Astrea said nothing, but set off, beginning to wonder if she'd regret this decision. They approached the bridge and she immediately saw about five hollows waiting at the other end. They guarded the entrance to a portcullis.

"We should be able to take these guys," she said confidently. "Try to keep up, Solaire."

"A moment, Astrea," he said. "I think we should proceed with caution."

"What for?" she scoffed. "I can run circles around these guys with just me. You're not scared of a few hollows, are you?"

"Not of hollows, no," he murmured.

"Of what then? Invisible hollows?" she snorted. "Look, I said not to get in my way. Now, keep up or stay here. I'm going. If we rush them, we can take them down."

"Astrea, wait!" But she was already charging across the bridge, her sword raised.

She could hear Solaire calling and running after her, but she didn't stop. She locked eyes on the first hollow and prepared to strike. He saw her and raised his shield, along with his fellows. Two at the back loaded crossbows.

Then she heard something else. What sounded like the rushing of a wind… and a very loud roar. She dared to glance back and saw a flash of red against the sky and a burst of fire, seemingly in slow motion.

"DOWN!"

Something tackled into her and she tumbled down a flight of stairs with someone else clinging on to her. Even down here, she could feel the heat of the dragon's fire.

Even so, her anger was burning even more than the dragon's breath and it wasn't directed at the flying lizard, but at the knight who was now picking himself off the floor.

"What the fuck was that?!" she demanded.

"As I understand it, it was me rescuing you from rather severe skin burns," answered Solaire.

"I told you not to get in my way!" she reiterated angrily. "I saw it coming!"

"I was not in your way, merely changing your direction of travel," Solaire countered brightly. "And perhaps you did see it coming, but I feared that you wouldn't be able to escape its breath in time. So, I decided it would be best to lend a hand."

"I didn't ask for your fucking help!"

"There wasn't really a large time window for such a thing. And we are on this venture together, are we not?"

"Yeah, but-"

"And would have preferred to have remained on the bridge and be burned, along with those unfortunate hollows?"

"No, but-"

"Then what is there to lose our tempers over?" he asked. "Perhaps I should have warned you sooner that I suspected the drake's presence, so I apologise for that. Right now though, should we not be thankful we survived unscathed?"

Once again, annoyingly, he was making sense. That must have been why he was acting so jittery before she charged across.

_It's your own fault, really,_ a voice in her head seemed to say. One that sounded a lot like the asshole back at Firelink. Astrea ignored it.

"I guess," she mumbled. "How did you know, anyway?"

"The scorch marks upon the stone," he replied. "They seemed fairly recent and I feared this area was frequented by the drake. One of those times I wish I wasn't right."

"Ditto. Uh… thanks for the save, I guess," she said after a while. "But be quicker to warn me next time, okay?"

"You have my word on that," nodded Solaire. "Now, since it would seem a direct route across the bridge is out of the question, perhaps we can search these two doors for an alternate path?"

"Makes sense to me," she shrugged. "You take the one over there, I'll check this one."

Her search yielded the same room the bonfire at the Burg was in just below her. With the ruined stairs, she kicked down a nearby ladder to ensure if she did die, she'd have a nice shortcut back up here. She shimmied down, rested up, refilled her Estus and spent her souls, then re-joined Solaire, who found a way that would take them under the bridge and on their intended path without risking being burned.

Moving underneath the bridge's arched supports, they were careful moving along the ledges in between the arches and came across a hollow armed with a spear. She raised her scimitar, but felt a hand on her shoulder.

"May I request to take this one?" asked Solaire. "If we are to be travelling companions, I wish to show my worth."

She looked at him, then the hollow and shrugged. "Go nuts."

He bowed his head and advanced. The hollow thrust his spear, but it bounded off of his shield, leaving the hollow open. Wasting no time, he thrust his sword through the opening, pushed the tip into his chest, pulled it out and sliced off its head with another stroke.

Another came around the corner, swinging its sword. He blocked the blow, pushed his opponent away, slashed his chest and kicked him. The force was enough to send the hollow tumbling to his death off the side.

Solaire turned to look at Astrea. She nodded appreciatively.

"Not bad, Solaire," she said. "Not bad at all."

"Thank you, Astrea," he replied brightly.

"I mean, I could have done it with a little more style, but your way works," she added.

"Your modesty is quite admirable."

"Modesty's overrated," she dismissed. "Let's keep moving."

They shimmied along the next ledge and emerged into a small dank runoff. Swiftly dealing with the giant undead rats in there, they climbed up the ladder and found themselves at an upward inclining path. A quick glance to a portcullis on their left told them they'd made it to the other side of the bridge. Right under the drake's big, beaky nose.

Astrea allowed herself a smirk at the thought of sneaking by it completely unnoticed. It couldn't be much further to the church now.

They climbed the stairs on the right, rounded the corner and confirmed she was right. About a hundred paces away, the church and its steeple towered above. All that was between them and it was a set of stairs and another portcullis, this one open. Oh and two hollows with crossbows on the bridge before the portcullis, one hollow charging straight for them and a giant armoured boar.

"Well," remarked Solaire when the charging hollow was dealt with, "this is something of a predicament."

"Yeah, no shit," agreed Astrea. "Still, no biggy. We can take these guys."

"Forgive me for saying so, but that isn't the first time you've said that today," he noted.

"What? You see another dragon or something?"

"Drake," corrected Solaire. "And no, but that boar might still prove to be a formidable obstacle."

"He doesn't look so tough," she scoffed.

"Nevertheless, Astrea, may I suggest a different strategy, as opposed to simply running into the fray?"

She bit back an accusation that he was calling her simple and thought for a moment. He'd turned out to be right before about the dragon… sorry, drake and she'd almost gotten torched. Maybe it was worth giving him the benefit of the doubt this time. Being gored didn't sound like a nice way to die and she'd experienced quite a few.

If she didn't like his idea, they could always go with her plan.

She sighed. "What did you have in mind?"

"You see there?" He pointed to their right, where a set of arches led to a covered part and a staircase. "The arches there are too small for our armoured friend to fit through and I would suspect those stairs would take us to where those archers are currently positioned. I suggest we hurry to them quickly, take out the archers, jump from the bridge and through the portcullis, therefore bypassing the boar completely."

Once again, Astrea nodded her approval. "Okay, sounds good. How about you lead this time?"

"I am honoured, milady."

"What did I say rule two was?"

"Another slip, my apologies."

"Just go before I go without you."

Solaire lead the charge to the stairs, Astrea pausing to kill a hollow that was lurking in the corner. She caught up with Solaire, who was engaging a hollow armed with a spear. However, he was being kept on the defence by his buddies giving the hollow covering fire with crossbow bolts.

"Astrea!" He tried to lash out, but almost took a bolt to the side. "Some assistance, please!"

"On it!"

She rolled under another bolt and crouched behind the first hollow. He grunted when his partner accidently shot him in the back. Taking advantage as he staggered, Astrea shoved him off the side, cut off his partner's arm when he went for his sword and he swiftly followed him off the bridge.

But looking down revealed another problem. A hollow stationed behind the bridge was booking it through the gate, towards a metal lever just behind it.

"He's closing the gate!" Astrea called to Solaire. "Come on!"

She leaped off the bridge, rolled on her landing and darted forward. She made it as the spikes of the portcullis crashed down behind her. Another crashing sound made her turn. The boar had tried to charge at her on landing and ended up getting his tusks stuck in the gaps of the portcullis. He snorted angrily and tried to pull himself free.

Astrea dispatched the hollow at the lever and turned to look back through. Solaire had killed his opponent, but he was stuck on the other side. However, the sunlight warrior didn't seem perturbed. He cocked his head at the boar and put away his sword. He took something in his hand and raised it to the sky.

Growing out from his fist, a brilliant bolt of orange lightning took shape. When it extended to its full length, he threw it like a javelin at the rear of the boar. The bolt hit home and its energies surged through the metal armour. The boar roared in pain, jittering and shaking. After a few seconds, it collapsed, unable to stand.

Solaire jumped down, drew his sword once more and thrust it into the unprotected tail end. With one final roar, the pig expired and moved no more.

Astrea approached the gaps and smiled.

"Miracles, huh?" she asked.

"The benefits of a Warrior of the Sun," he said proudly, stowing away the talisman he used to perform the Miracle. "However, it seems our armoured friend has left this portcullis unable to open with his generous form wedged in it."

"Think there's another way around?"

"I happened to glance another passage leading down just behind me," he motioned with his head. "I shall investigate and see what it yields. Would be so kind as to wait for me this time?"

"I'll wait ten minutes," she answered. "If you don't show, I'll keep going."

"Then I shall endeavour to be as quick as I can," Solaire promised. He drew his sword and headed off.

"Wait." He turned again to look at Astrea. "Uh… sorry for ditching you."

Solaire just laughed. "There's nothing to be sorry for. I suppose I should have been quicker. See you on the other side, Astrea. Quite literally."

Sword and shield in hand, Solaire went off down the other passage. Astrea had to smile again. Sure, he was a little annoying, but she had to admit, his company was kind of nice. Having another pair of eyes watching gave her a sense of security she felt like she missed.

Silently hoping he'd be here at the end of these ten minutes, she propped herself against the wall and waited.

* * *

Unseen by the Undead warriors high on the roof of the church, many eyes watched their progress. It would have taken the time to attack them while their backs were turned, but it was ordered to hold its position and simply observe. So, that was what it did. It observed them approach the altar, battle with the Berenike and Balder knights and ultimately triumph.

Far, far away from the Undead Parish, in a cave filled with crystal, he who had given the order saw through the many eyes of his servant. These two both possessed much skill for Undead. And their presence at the church could only mean one thing: the prophecy. They sought the bell.

But which one was the Chosen? The male seemed a viable candidate, but the female too did as well. He had to be certain before any other decisions were made. His compatriot would want to know what was going on, but it was more prudent to gather as much knowledge as possible before relaying it to him.

"**Follow them,"** he commanded. **"Keep to the shadows and watch them."**


End file.
